Disk or ring projector



A. LUTHI DISK OR RING PROJECTOR Dec. 15, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 27, 1952 INV NTOR.

ATTORNEY Dec. 15, 1953 A. LUTHl DISK OR RING PROJECTOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 27, 1952 INVENTOR.

BY I I ATTWM'Y Patented Dec. 15, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DISK R RING PROJECTOR Alfred Luthi, Philadelphia, Pa. Application'Fcbruary 27, 1952, Serial No. 273,575

3 Claims. 1

My invention relates to a new and amusing game apparatus and has for one of its objects to provide a novel and interesting device of this character requiring considerable skill and some degree of chance in playing several types of games.

Another object or the invention is to produce a game apparatus including the combination of a game piece projector and a target member of unique construction provided with means for in dicating a score resulting from an individual play.

Another object or" this invention is to provide a game apparatus consisting of target inen'ibers, a hazard member, a projector member for propelling a game piece in the form of a cushion rimmed disc or elastic ball, said members bei capable of disposition in various relative posi tions for playing different types of games.

A further object of the present invention is to produce a projector for a game piece of missile which projector includes a of spaced and slotted uprights with a rubber band fitted in the slots for attaching it to said uprights in manner to provide two ten-slo ed strands to be twisted with the missile between them so that when said missile is rele it will be propelled with considerable speed.

A still further object of the invention is to form the slots in the uprights in such a way that the strands of the rubber band may be adjusted with relation to each other for changing the trajectory of the missile.

With the above and other objects in view this invention consists of the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter setforth then designated by the claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains may understand how to make use the same I will descri..e its construction in detail referring by numerals to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof, which:

ig. l is a perspective view of the game apparatus with several elements thereof arranged in preselected positions relative to one another and showing in. dotted lines a number of positions of a game piece or missile during its travel over a random path from the projector to the target.

Fi 2 is a section of the target on the line 2-4: of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the same on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged top plan view of the projector showing in dotted. lines the manner of holding a disc shaped missile in the twisted strands of a rubber band.

ratus employing a modified type or" target member.

Fig. 9 is a section of the hazard member on the line 5-9 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 1c is a face view of the disc shaped, cushion rimmed game piece or missile.

In carrying out my invention as herein enibodied l5 represents the projector produced from any suitable material having sufficient stiffness or rigidity to retain its form and includes a has it of appropriate dimensions, to the device firmly on a support while in use. base preferably of oblong shape and uprights it project upwardly therefrom at both ends which uprights are braced by angular struts is extend? g rom the upper ends of said uprights laterally to aid base it in a convergent manner but being paced apart an appreciable distance.

The uprights i! are also of angular formation with the larger ends at the bottoms and a pair of parallel slots it, to are formed in each or" uprights and run from the rear angular or hypotenuse to a location short of but adjacent to the forward portions of uprights. a rubher band 2| is adjustably mounted in said uprights which are placed to provide some tension on the strands of said rubber band that stretch across the space between the two uprights. By moving the lower strand to various positions along the lower slot 20 the missile, to be presently de scribed, can initially be directed at olifierent angles to the plane of the base of the rojector.

A missile or game piece 22 may 0 at or a disc of any suitable material but, includes a disc shaped body 233, 16, havin an elastic-perimeter E l. Instead of a the missile maybe a rubber or other rather soft ball shown in Fig. 6. In any case the missile be of curved formation to readily roll over playing surfaces.

. To propel a missile, the latter is tween the two strands of the said strands twisted clockwise, 5, until the missile is firmly rubber band strands and the placed berubber band and when viewing Fig. held between the desired tension is obtained on said strands. Upon release of the missile, the strands of the rubber band will unwind and impart a rotary motion to said missile so that as it leaves the rubber band it will drop to a surface and roll thereon in a direction substantially in a preselected path but to some extent in random direction.

The projector is placed on any suitable surface, such as a floor or the top of a table and in front of said projector, some distance therefrom, is positioned a hazard member 26 including a convexly curved top surface 2! and end rests 2B. The inclination of the curved top surface is steeper at one side than at the other to produce different degrees of jumping motions depending upon which inclined portion of the curved surface is first encountered by the missile propelled from the projector. Either inclined portion of said curved surface can be arranged to face the projector by merely reversing the hazard member 26.

Beyond the hazard member 26 at any desirable distance therefrom is placed one of the target members as, 29a or 2912. The target member 29, Figs. 1, 2 and 3 includes a base 39 with a perpendicular front wall 35 having apertures 32 of sufficient d mensions for the passage of a missile and a numerical indicia 33 is associated with each aperture to represent the value of a play made through a respective aperture. On the base is also mounted an imperforate back wall 34 spaced a distance, at least equal to the diameter of a missile, from the front wall. At the ends of the back wall are forwardly projecting spreading wings 35 and said back wall and its wings are strengthened by braces 35. Between the front and back walls are located a plurality of spaced partitions 37s and positioned between adjacent aperture to form pockets or stalls for temporarily retaining a missile rolled through any aperture. The partitions have deep notches 38 open at the tops whereby a missile in any pocket or stall may be easily grasped between the thumb and forefinger and lifted out of its pocket or stall. This target member is particularly adapted for use on a table or other restricted surface to prevent the missile going astray after entering one of the pockets or stalls.

The target member 29a illustrated in Fig. 7 is similar to that above described but includes only a base 38a and a perpendicular front wall 35a having a ertures with which the numerical indicia 33s are associated. The front wall 3 is may braced by rearwardly projecting end wings secured to the base.

A modified form of target member 29a may be substituted for the other target members and as herein shown consists of a number of side by side par llel alleys it, each including a bottom 41 with a steep incline at the entrance and and a less sharply inclined major portion beyond the entrance in which major portion are formed a number of concave pockets 42 having certain predetermined playing values.

Various types of games can be played such as, for example, baseball, football, golf, racing and similar amusements, and the player using the projector represents the batter, kicker, hitter, runner and the like, and one who, in a predetermined number of plays, makes the highest total score become the winner of the game. The apparatus is highly amusing because any one of the several types of target members can be employed with or without the hazard member and when the latter is used it can be turned to present either degree of inclined surface desired. Considerable skill also i involved in the use of the projector because the strands of the rubber band may be wound up or twisted about one another more or less to regulate the speed of the missile and the direction of said missile can be controlled by turning it on its vertical axi as well as by adjusting the strands of the rubber band in their slots whereby the lower strand will be directly under the upper strand or any desired distance to the front or rear of said upper strand.

of course I do not wish to be limited to the exact details of construction herein shown and described as these may be varied within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and useful is:

1. A game apparatus comprising a missile, a projector to propel said missile along a surface, said projector consisting of a base, a pair of spaced uprights on said base and each having a pair of spaced substantially horizontal slots with their open ends at the rear of said uprights, and an endless rubber band inserted in both slots of both uprights to provide two strands extending across the space between the uprights, said strands to be twisted together on both sides of the missile with the latter between them.

In a game apparatus, a projector comprising a base, a pair of spaced vertical uprights on said base and each of said uprights having a pair of vertically spaced substantially horizontal slots extending from the rear edge thereof, and an endless rubber band inserted in both slots of both uprights and of a length to provide two strands one above the other under slight tension extending across the space between said uprights, said strands to engage the periphery of a round missile and be twisted together at both sides of said missile to temporarily retain the missile between said strands approximately midway between said spaced uprights.

3. In a game apparatus, a projector including a base, a pair of spaced upright extending from said base, a pair of rubber strands having pliable and elastic properties attached to the uprights and extending across the space between said uprights with one strand above the other in spaced relation and under slight tension, and a disc shaped missile temporarily held between said rubber strands by engagement of the latter with the periphery of said missile at substantially diametrically opposite points with said strands twisted about one another between the missile and each upright.

ALFRED LUTi-II.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,243,334 Murray Oct. 16, 1917 1,444,095 Bartholomew Feb. 6, 1923 1,525,962 Shasteen Feb. 10, 1925 1,558,088 Hanley Oct. 20, 1925 2,286,700 Vincent June 16, 1942 2,451,770 Parke Oct. 19, 1948 2,603,204 Hartman July 15, 1952 

